Age Breakdown

The age distribution of county residents also reflects the ebb and flow of population from more rural counties. The abundance of older citizens, the result of the baby boom and the relatively small proportion of younger workers is a matter of concern for the long-term growth of the county.

Household Income

This graph illustrates the distribution of total county household incomes across different income groups. These data include both working, and non-working households, and may include students. Higher proportions of elderly and families with very young heads of households will contribute to the share of low-income households. Also, a high share of agriculture, which sees much of its wealth accruing outside of income, will contribute to lower income households. In 2014, the median household income in Indiana was $48,060.

Educational Attainment

Education is the most basic element of a region's economy, and serves both as an input to the region's economic performance and also as an amenity for new businesses and residents. These data from the U.S. Census show the proportion of adults who have attained different levels of education. They are compared to the state averages. It is worth noting that the relative age of a county will heavily influence these data, with older adults being less likely to have completed high school or college. So, while this is one of the first measures of a community's health, other factors influencing these data, such as local high school graduation rates and the types of colleges and universities attended by local graduates are also important measures of the community's educational performance.

Ball State CBER Data Center (cberdata.org) is a product of the Center for Business and Economic Research at Ball State
University. CBER's mission is to conduct relevant and timely public policy research on a wide range of economic issues
affecting the state and nation. Learn more.